Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative biographical study was to understand living with a chronic illness (specifically kidney disease) as perceived by a woman who is a wife and a mother, between the ages of 45-50 covering the years from 1982 to 2005, and her efforts to address challenges associated with this illness and at the same time improve her individual worth through an ongoing lifelong learning process.

Through the use of a mixed classical and interpretive biographical approach, this study attempted to focus on the story of this wife and mother's experience with kidney disease, and was interested in the process, meaning, and understanding of that lived experience. This study reports the participant's perspective augmented by detailed historical records and context covering a 23-year experience of this multiple kidney transplant individual. This study also includes insight and observations from the participant's husband and two children regarding her lived experience.

The participant has weathered multiple losses over the years due to kidney failure; physical and psychological health, control, independence, self esteem, finances, and employment. These losses were addressed in this study throughout five of the six themes that emerged, respectfully entitled; (1)  Emotional Consequences, (2) Effects on the Family, (3) Financial Burden, (4) Social Withdrawal, and (5) Physical Effects. Additionally, her chronic illness has affected her motivation and ability to learn—a process that has been slow and insidious and occurred over a long period of time; addressed in the final theme that emerged from this study, respectfully entitled, (6) Lifelong Learning Challenges. This study looks at the lived experience of the participant who has tried to make sense of her chronic illness and come full circle with attempts to fit into society one day and give up on the world the next.